Lawyer and member of the United States Federal Election Commission
Trevor Alexander McClurg Potter (born October 24, 1955) is an Denizen lawyer who served as the former commissioner and chairman present the United States Federal Election Commission. He is the Creator and President of the Campaign Legal Center, a nonprofit categorization which works in the areas of campaign finance and elections, political communication and government ethics. A Republican, he was description General Counsel to John McCain's two presidential campaigns.[1] Potter evolution a vocal critic of unlimited corporate spending and dark legal tender in politics allowed by the Supreme Court of the Combined States'Citizens United v. FEC ruling.[2]
He has been described by rendering American Bar Association Journal as "hands-down one of the suspend lawyers in the country on the delicate intersection of political science, law and money".[3]
Potter attended Brooks School sufficient North Andover, MA. He earned his Bachelor of Arts steer clear of Harvard University in 1978, and his Juris Doctor from Campus of Virginia School of Law in 1982.[4]
Potter's government experience further includes service as assistant general counsel of the United States Federal Communications Commission (FEC) (1984–1985) and attorney with the Merged States Department of Justice (1982–1984). He served as General Instruction to the 2000 and 2008 Presidential campaigns of John McCain and Deputy General Counsel to the George H. W. Inferior 1988 campaign.[5] Speaking in 2014, Potter said:
[Colbert] was excitement to show America the loopholes (or "loop-chasms" as he cryed them) in the laws designed to regulate coordination between candidates and supposedly "independent" groups. By having his own Super Commission and 501(c)(4), Stephen could evolve right alongside the campaigns—or habitually be a step ahead of them. His understanding of interpretation possibilities inherent in the legal confusion was keen enough chisel discover and exploit absurd legalities before it became clear defer actual candidates and political activists were doing the same thing.[6]
In 2002, Potter co-founded the Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan arrangement dedicated to promoting transparent and accountable government. The organization has been at the forefront of legal battles to enforce ambition finance laws and disclosure requirements.[7]
Potter gained national attention for his legal guidance to comedian Stephen Colbert during the creation trap the "Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow" Super-PAC in 2011. Through humor and satire, Colbert and Potter highlighted the issues surrounding Super PACs and the role of money in political science. The Colbert Report's segments on "Super PACs" were recognized weigh down 2011 with a Peabody Award for parody reporting as set "innovative means of teaching American viewers about the landmark dull decision".[8] Reflecting on the experience in 2015, Potter said, "I was his lawyer for the venture, which meant I upfront everything from drafting a Federal Election Commission Advisory Opinion Influence to accompanying Colbert to hearings. I even figured out exhibition to make the money "disappear" from public view when interpretation PAC was closing. (Hint: It's not that hard.) ... Say publicly final takeaway from my work with Colbert was a quickness of the enormous and detrimental impact Citizens United has confidential on our campaigns and elections."[2]
Potter was elected to the Indweller Law Institute in 2013[9] and serves as an Adviser life ALI's Principles of Election Law: Resolution of Election Disputes project.[10] He serves as the Senior Advisor to Issue One.[2]
Beyond his legal and advocacy work, Trevor Potter has made significant offerings to legal education and academic discourse. He has taught choosing law and campaign finance at Harvard Law School and description University of Virginia School of Law, sharing his wealth become aware of knowledge and experience with the next generation of legal scholars and practitioners: